The present invention relates to a licensing scheme for content (e.g., video, audio and/or multimedia) provided by a service provider to an end user. The invention is particularly well suited for use with a video processing device having a transrater, such as a statistical multiplexer and/or digital video splicer. The invention can also be used with a video processing device such as universal scalable modulator (USM) where a user guarantees that the bandwidth to be processed will not exceed the hardware capability. End users who receive content processed by any such video processing device can comprise, for example, consumers of television or multimedia programming.
A statistical multiplexer and digital video splicer is a device that provides digital video processing for, e.g., grooming, statistical multiplexing, transrating and digital program insertion (DPI). An example multiplexer/splicer is the broadcast network processor (“BNP”) and modular video processor (“MVP”) manufactured by RGB Networks, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., USA.
A low delay VOD/SDV statistical multiplexer is a device that provides real-time video processing for interactive, personalized architectures such as video-on-demand (VOD) and switched digital video (SDV). One such multiplexer, known as a “DBM” (Dynamic Bandwidth Manager), is available from RGB Networks, Inc., and enables cable television operators, for example, to deliver 50% more programming on their existing network without costly network re-architecture and upgrades. High density VOD and SDV bandwidth optimization, as well as quick ‘trick play’ functions are provided by the RGB DBM. Moreover, the RGB DBM works transparently with existing servers, resource managers, modulators and set-top boxes.
A statistical multiplexer and splicer can also be used in the telco market to handle advanced codec (H.264) and MPEG2. An example of such a product is the MVP offered by RGB Networks
A USM is a device that provides high density multi-service digital edge QAM modulation and upconversion. A USM offered by RGB Networks, Inc. supports video-on-demand (VOD), switched digital video and M-CMTS architectures.
It would be advantageous to provide a means to enable the licensing of video, audio and/or multimedia content or the like when such content is processed by a multiplexer or splicer device such as a BNP, DBM, MVP or USM. To date, such schemes have been considered to be too confusing and difficult for both equipment providers (vendors) and their customers (e.g., cable, satellite and multimedia service providers).
Licensing schemes previously proposed in the art are based on the number of programs, the number of transrated videos, and/or the number of transport streams delivered to a user with different permutations and restrictions. The service provider using the equipment has to consider how many high definition (HD) streams, standard definition (SD) streams, still pictures, single-program transport streams (SPTS), multiple-program transport streams (MPTS), programs with transrated video, programs without video, etc. are provided in order to figure out how many licenses are needed. The equipment vendor has to implement a complicated scheme taking all of the possible combinations into account in order to decide how to add and remove licenses for the different possible applications of the equipment. These requirements and the complexity thereof increase both development time and cost, as well as the support cost, for the devices necessary to process the video, audio and/or multimedia streams. The vendor (equipment provider) will also lose revenue when many non-transrated video and other streams pass through the devices, as there is no license fee that can be collected. Although such streams consume resources, they do not generate revenue with the current licensing schemes.